GARY DEFIANT AFTER DEFEAT
BEATEN Yeovil boss Gary Johnson admitted he would be counting down the hours until his side get another shot at Sheffield United after vowing to come out swinging in their play-off semi-final second leg tomorrow.
Callum McFadzean’s first senior goal, fired home with the help of a deflection just after the break, was enough to put the Blades in the driving seat in the race to Wembley.
McFadzean started the game on the bench but replaced the injured Barry Robson in the first half and marked his 11th senior appearance with his most important contribution yet
For the Glovers, who had won four of their past six games and triumphed 2-0 at Bramall Lane in January, it is not all over yet and with a bumper crowd expected at Huish Park boss Johnson insists they will not go out with a whimper.
“It is going to be a fantastic afternoon at Huish Park, most people would have loved to be one-nil up or two nil-up, but we’re not,” he said.
“We are a goal down and we have got to get that goal back quick, when we have to score, we will have all guns blazing.
“We are with the big boys now in terms of competing at this level and I don’t want to go out like a damp squib.
“I was very disappointed with the way the goal came about but even before that and certainly just after it we started playing.”
With five minutes gone, Robson crossed to Dave Kitson but he couldn’t keep his header down before Robson’s curled free-kick nipped just past the post on eight minutes
Chris Porter nearly got on the end of a clever through ball by Jamie Murphy before it was cleared for a corner, taken by Robson and headed over by Harry Maguire.
Yeovil’s best chance of the half came when Kieron Dawson flashed his right foot strike wide but straight after half-time the.Blades took the lead when sub McFadzean’s low shot bounced off Jamie McAllister and into the net.
Ed Upson’s powerful strike on 52 minutes was fumbled by George Long, but without a Yeovil attacker following up, his error went unpunished.
Paddy Madden thought he had equalised on 56 minutes with a neat dink over Long, but he was just offside.
McFadzean then weaved his way past McAllister and broke into the box but the angle was too narrow to beat Marek Stech.
Byron Webster’s header brought a smart save out of Long before Sam Foley’s acrobatic effort was turned away by the goalkeeper in stoppage time – enough to make caretaker boss Chris Morgan wary for the second leg.
He said: “It’s quite easy to keep them grounded because they are a sensible bunch and I’ve said to them that we’ve done half a job.
“It’s half-time but we are one-nil up, we are the away team and it isn’t for us to make the running now.
“They’ll have their supporters getting behind them and they will want to come out on the front foot. Our aim was to win and you have to take that advantage when you are at home.
“They will probably be happy in their camp that it is only one-nil but we are strong away from home and I expect the second leg to be another game like this.
“We set off to win the game and to get our noses in front and we go to Yeovil and it is on them now.”